 |
 |
Home | About | Breeding | For Sale | Photo Album | Resources | Contact
It was Raining Clevies!
by Steffanie Burgevin, Owner of Epona Farm
Many years ago a friend and I sat down with pictures of studs for her leased TB mare, and through some fluke we both decided on a Cleveland Bay, Cholderton Yeoman. The resulting filly, much anticipated, was tall, gangly and had the biggest ears and head I had ever seen (I was mostly a TB kind of gal then), and frankly I was enormously disappointed for my friend. Well, she persisted, throwing her on the trailer to go to every show on the Eastern seaboard, and to every dressage trainer offering clinics. Of course, the mare, registered as Transquaking Sweetbrier (a river in Cambridge MD, and a cute pony in a kid’s book), affectionately called Butthead, grew up with blue ribbons hanging on her stall. And did she grow, finally topping out at 17’3”. My friend decided to devote her life to education, and gave the mare to me, along with a trousseau of top hats, white gloves, size 6 bits, and a dressage saddle. I rode her once and was hooked. Since I was a foxhunter, I had to hire a trainer, and then I too started collecting the ribbons. Butthead and I were inseparable. After she was retired (hocks), I bred her to a brand new English import, Kingsley’s Poseidon. He was short, gorgeous, and a great mover too.
I had the foal, Epona’s Waterford, who was deliciously cute and impish, on Mother’s Day. Two months later, he was orphaned, then a week later ended up at Morven Park’s Equine hospital for 4 months. He proved tougher than his disease, and now is 11, having been hunted, dressage trained and trailriden a lot. His orphan-ness however proved to be a real problem as he would throw his 1600 pounds and 17+ H frame around whenever he wanted. I had another Clevie, a part bred that I bought at 3 from Marilyn Webster, Idle Hour Flyway, who I hunted, jumped, and then fox hunted extensively. She is a real beauty, 10 mover, and high score dressage winner. However she is a strong willed worry wart, who started having several physical issues, as a result of Lyme disease. So here I am over 60, working full time, deciding I really needed something quiet and calm in the barn. Plus I wanted to begin my pure Cleveland breeding plan.
I started over two years ago, visiting breeders in person, by phone, and internet, trying to find that well bred pure mare, with perfect confirmation, attitude, and about 5-7 years old, preferably under saddle. Well, I saw old ones, young ones, small ones, really big ones, lame ones, but nothing fit the bill. My friend Marilyn offered her retired brood mare, Forion Branwan to me just to have a nice riding horse, and lo, I fell in love with her too. Huge batwing ears, and eyes, and an ever seeking head for me. We really did bond quickly. I loved riding her, as I could go anywhere, with no spook or worry. We started hilltopping this fall, and I even took her in the Middleburg Hunt Christmas parade. There is enough to spaz out even the quietest horse, with thousands lining the street, hounds, bikes, kids in strollers, packed surroundings, flashing lights-you name it. A picture of us shows Branny with those huge floppy ears at half mast, her head sort down to her knees, sleepwalking on Mosby highway. I couldn’t get the smile off my face.
In the meantime, all of a sudden CB mares started appearing for sale. One I liked in England came back on the market. Another in Florida had been for sale, then not, was again for sale. This mare, Idle Hour Muthaiga was languishing in central Florida for lack of a good stallion, no riding, and just generally growing up with nothing to do. She had had a pb foal (Hanoverian). And, she was Branny’s daughter. Well, that check went out quickly, because she had those same big ears, eyes, and great temperament. Mattie has been at a trainer’s barn up the road since November, and has been out with hounds already. She has not put a foot wrong.
So, you see I now have four wonderful, beautiful Clevies, (plus an old creaky retiree TB), and only four stalls. Oops. And I plan on breeding Duchess (Flyway) this spring. I also suffer from O.C.E.A.N. (See last Baywatch issue). So I guess I will just have to build more stalls, which means, a hay and bedding shed, and additional run-ins. I will have to keep working till I croak to pay for all of this. This, of course defeats the purpose of all of these horses, since I don’t have that much time to ride. This means I will have to hire a trainer, and keep my barn help on, paying her more money because of the extra horses.
Did I also mention that I just broke three metatarsals (Branny accidentally stomped her size 4 shoe, 1300 pound body on my right foot), and haven’t been able to walk, let along ride for five weeks. My non horsey friends really just don’t get it.
I am really looking forward to getting Branny back out on the trails, palling up with Mattie, and having a ¾ bred with Duchess. Waterford will get ridden, and hopefully find someone more suitable. He is a wonderful mover, jumper and is elegant. (Maybe someone reading this would be interested?)
